Nyquist scores in OT, Red Wings edge Canadiens

By The Associated Press

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

MONTREAL (AP) — Gustav Nyquist scored on a rebound with 28 seconds left in overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in the first post-Olympic game for both teams Wednesday night.

Montreal had goalie Peter Budaj pulled for an extra attacker when captain Brian Gionta scored with 29 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

A team coached by Detroit's Mike Babcock, who led Canada to the gold medal, had not allowed a goal since Lauris Darzins got one at 15:41 of the first period of Canada's 2-1 win over Latvia in the quarterfinals in Sochi.

Todd Bertuzzi scored in the first period for Detroit.

The Bell Centre crowd booed as the Canadiens tested the Red Wings' Jimmy Howard only twice in the second period. Detroit had a 30-20 shot advantage overall. But the fans were on their feet as Gionta collected a puck at the side of the net in a scramble and backhanded the tying goal into a top corner.

Two players who used the Olympic break to heal from injuries combined for the opening goal as Johan Franzen, back from a concussion, fed Bertuzzi at the edge of the crease for a power-play goal 14:01 into the game. Bertuzzi had missed eight games with an upper-body problem.

The goal came after P.K. Subban was called for roughing.

Budaj had been slated to start in goal for Montreal even before Canadian Olympian Carey Price injured his left leg during the team's game-day skate. He is expected to start again when Montreal visits Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

Notes: The 21,273 at the Bell Centre gave a rousing ovation to 12 members of Canadian men's and women's hockey gold medal teams in a pregame ceremony. The biggest cheers went to Marie-Philip Poulin, who had two goals in the women's final, and to Babcock and Canadiens players Price and Subban. ... Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk and Travis Moen returned from injuries, but Michael Bournival and Brandon Prust remain sidelined. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski was recalled from AHL Hamilton. ... The Red Wings played the 3,000th road game in their history.